Mo and W dihalide complexes with uncommon trigonal-prismatic geometry imposed by the linear tetraphosphine ancillary ligand and their reactivities toward diazoalkanes.

New Mo and W tetraphosphine-dihalide complexes [MX2(kappa4-P4)] (2, MX=MoCl, MoBr, WBr; P4=meso-o-C6H4(PPhCH2CH2PPh2)2) with uncommon trigonal-prismatic geometries have been prepared. Treatment of ethyl diazoacetate with 2 (MX=MoCl) resulted in catalytic carbenoid-group coupling to give diethyl maleate and fumarate, whereas reactions of 2 with trimethylsilyldiazoalkane formed the diazoalkane complexes trans-[MX(NN=CHSiMe3)-(kappa4-P4)]+ (3+) and cis,mer-[MoCl2(NN=CHSiMe3)(kappa3-P4)]. The molecular structures of 2 (MX=MoCl) and 3[PF6] (MX=WBr) were crystallographically determined.